I started off by making it known just how much I love the Sub-Antarctic Islands. That’s a lot, in case you happen to be the most oblivious person known to man.

Our host, Te Radar asked the audience if they knew where the Sub-Antarctic Islands and a surprisingly small number of people raised their hands (I assumed that I would be preaching to the converted). When asked if they had worked on, been to, or knew about any of the issues going on in the region, there were even fewer.

What made the weekend especially interesting was chatting to a few of the people who are currently involved with (or running) the Our Far South campaign. When he’s not hosting youth discussion panels, making award-winning documentaries, or being an all-round funny guy, Te Radar is a spokesperson for the Our Far South campaign. He’s currently working on a documentary set for release on the 3rd of July, which I cannot wait to see!

The Sub-Antarctic islands were just a fragment of the thought-provoking discussion we had. The diversity of the panel meant that we were able to touch on a range of subjects such as environmental politics, shark-finning, predator control, water quality, societies dependence on coal, and even the ever-so-controversial theme of intergenerational justice.

All in all it was an awe-inspiring experience that has set me up for months of energy to ‘get-up-and-go-save-New-Zealand’s-wild-places-and-creatures’. The one thing I find myself questioning is complacency and its relationship to social media. I can’t help but wonder if our generation think that by sharing a post they are saving the world and have found myself questioning myself on how we can get actual involvement from youth rather than clicks.

In saying that, I highly recommend having a look at the twitter feed from the conference, it’s got great quotes, summaries, and general responses to some of the thought-provoking speakers and the conference in general. If you couldn’t make it, you can at least feel like you were there. And if you could, you can refresh your memory of some of the key issues that were raised!

There’s also this article by the lovely Isosbel Ewing that gives a nice summary of what went on at the youth panel discussion.

Look out for this article on the conference in the latest Forest and Bird members magazine.

Thanks a bunch, Forest and Bird! It was great. Just try and stop me from coming along next time!

He is currently on the Marion Islands (also known as the Prince Edwards Islands) but took some time from his busy schedule to talk to me about what it’s like to spend your life working with such incredible species.

How did you come to be an expert on seabird conservation and what drew you to study them?

During a post-graduate period in soil physics I was drawn to bird watching in tropical Africa. This turned into a research job working with African Penguins in the early 1970s and a 40-year seabird career ensued. I think most, if not all, field biologists become involved with the conservation of study species and their habitats.

What’s the greatest encounter you have had with an albatross or petrel?

When I sit down quietly and rest among the rising peaks surrounding Gonydale on South Atlantic’s Gough Island and watch as a Critically Endangered (and curious) Tristan Albatross walks towards within metres of me and starts a tentative courtship display – simply magical!

Then hike onto the Southern Giant Petrel study colony below Low Hump on the same island, where the incubating birds are so confiding they can be colour-banded on their nests without restraint, and off-duty birds will nibble at my boots and tug gently at my over-trousers – just in case they might be edible.

Such moments are hard to explain, but once experienced stay forever, to be brought to the front of the mind and savoured wherever one is.

Can you briefly explain the kind of research you have been doing on seabirds during your career?

My research has been primarily ecological in nature, and always aimed to the conservation of the species studied, and of their habitats. I have looked at such aspects as breeding success and diet. I now leave most of the actual research to the next generation of marine ornithologist, and concentrate more on conservation activities, both in the field (for example alien plant control on Gough Island) and from home via the internet, web sites and via social media (through communicating conservation messages to the wider world).

At sea it is the deleterious effects of trawl and long-line fisheries; on land it is human disturbance, pollution, habitat degradation and loss, and especially introduced predators such as cats and rats on their breeding islands

Why is it so important that we conserve albatross and petrels?

Ultimately, my philosophy is that the World in which we live and are part of will become a poorer place when any species becomes extinct before its time due to anthropogenic forces. For the general public, as well as for biologists, albatrosses especially among marine creatures are charismatic species that stir the heart as well as the mind, for example as witnessed by their regular appearance in poetry and art.

As top predators at the sea surface they can be seen as indicators of environmental health and harbingers of climate change. Put simply, their continued health is part of our own continued well-being

What’s the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels all about?

The main goal of ACAP is to help conserve the species (and their habitats) listed within the Agreement, currently 29 species of albatrosses and petrels, but expected to rise to 30 as a shearwater from the Mediterranean is likely to be listed later this month.

How was the agreement formed?

ACAP was originally an Australian initiative. Two negotiation meetings were held to develop its text, in Hobart, Australia, and in Cape Town, South Africa. I helped arrange the latter meeting. For an early history of ACAP and how it came about, take a look as this link.

How does the ACAP intend to change how many albatross and petrels are killed annually by (the answer to the above question)?

The Parties to the Agreement, via its Advisory Committee and Meeting Sessions set priorities. The Agreements’ three working groups represent the “engine” that generates actual activities. ACAP also funds to a limited amount research and management activities. Raising public awareness is also a crucial activity.

Perhaps most significantly ACAP is interacting with the five main tuna RFMOS (regional fishery management organizations) and with selected NGOs (such as BirdLife International) to reduce the mortality of albatrosses and petrels at sea by both long-line and trawl fisheries. Progress is slow but generally positive as the mind sets of fishers slowly change and mitigation measures are adopted.

How does (the answer to the above question) and the ACAP apply to New Zealand’s Sub-Antarctic Islands?

New Zealand is a “founder” Party to ACAP. It also supports many of the ACAP-listed species, many endemic to its southern islands. New Zealand has led on developing methodologies for eradicating introduced mammals, especially rats, but also cats, pigs and goats, on seabird islands of ever-increasing size and ecological complexity. Such skills are being exported world-wide to help seabirds in all the World’s oceans.